More Than Lucky, Less Than a Gamble
by PaBurke
Summary: Years ago, Charles Xavier visited one of Byron's gambling joints. June could be forgiven for not recognizing him now.
1. Chapter 1

More Than a Poker Game

Beta-Prompt 08-11: First Class/White Collar, something with Byron and June

Word Count: 700

The white kids didn't belong. They were rich, far richer than any other in the club.

June noticed them first since Byron was playing the back table. The man –honestly, he was barely twenty- stepped in first. He glanced over the busy room. He didn't react to the fact he was one of six white men in the club. The blonde girl was a step behind. She wasn't happy, but June didn't think that it was because they were on the wrong side of town.

June approached them, trying to keep the peace with the other customers.

"We could fit in," the girl was murmuring. "Just let me…"

"No, Raven," the boy ordered her. "We're here for an entirely different experiment." The boy saw June and smiled at her. "Good evening, madam," he addressed her as if she was a beautiful, rich, white woman. There was nothing patronizing in that smile. "We're looking for a poker game. Is there any to be had?"

June should have said 'no.' These two were nothing but trouble. Then Ezra decided that such rich marks were too good to leave alone. Ezra brushed by the man, picking his pocket.

Unsuccessfully.

The man caught his hand and retrieved his wallet, only to place it in his other pocket. He never took his eyes off of June. He was calm, the perfect conman under pressure. The girl though –there was something ugly –mean- in her eyes.

"Calm down, Raven," the boy said. He looked at Ezra and brushed his fingers against his temple (a tell?). "Sit in your chair and stay there until we leave." Ezra turned to do just that. The boy smiled at June once again. "A poker game?"

Byron's winnings had been slim recently. This boy could put a lot of money into play. June smiled at him. "Of course, if you'll give Lily your hat and coats…" Lily stepped right up to do her job. "Right this way."

The boy had perfect manners, June noticed, as he introduced himself and his sister to the whole poker table. Byron lifted an eyebrow at June and June offered what she thought the Charles Xavier's tell might be behind his back. Raven pulled up a chair directly behind her brother. Though she nodded at the other poker players, she didn't have Charles' impeccable manners.

The game started and June drifted away to attend to her hostess duties. Several times she met Raven's curious eyes. She had twisted in her chair and was watching the members of the club laugh, dance, sing and play. She looked intent and confused. Charles played as impeccably as he spoke and walked. He played well; it wasn't too long until the pile of money by his left hand grew. Byron's mouth crinkled in a manner that June knew that he was confused. June was sure that she had seen the finger-to-the-forehead tell several times. Byron had worked with less before. He shouldn't be losing. There was something different about Charles, more than being respectful.

Finally, Raven kicked Charles' chair. Charles sighed and expressed his regrets. He counted his money, handing a good wad to Raven. She pocketed it with a grin. The rest he split between the other poker players. "Thank you for the game, gentlemen," he said. "It was an educational experience." He stood and offered an arm to his sister.

June was waiting for him at the club's exit. Lily was ready with the Xavier's outer garments. Charles helped Raven with her coat and then slid into his own. He smiled at June and tipped his hat with as much style as anyone from the Rat Pack did. "Thank you for the wonderful evening, June."

June's blood ran cold. Byron would not have told this rich, white boy her true name. It had to be a warning, but a warning for what?

Why had Charles Xavier (was that his real name?) walked into their club? June suddenly felt like a mark, but she had no idea what the con had been. It didn't fall into a pattern of any of the cons with which she was familiar.

She would be checking the club safe as soon as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Less Than a Scale

Beta-Prompt 08-11b: First Class/White Collar, something with Byron and June. Many years after More Than a Poker Game

Word Count: 1400

June's granddaughter had slowly become secretive. When June asked Neal about it, he admitted that he hadn't spoken to April in months. Whatever was the problem, it wasn't due to Neal. June started asking around quietly. Every response was the same, within the last couple of months April had pulled back from others. No one knew of any event that could have precipitated it or if anything horrible had happened to April. Everyone was as worried and uninformed as June. Neal and Peter had even checked all violent crimes that might have crossed April's path. Nothing revealed itself. Neal also told her that they had checked for drugs. June wanted to be offended at the thought but Neal assured her that they hadn't found any evidence of any addictive substance (except coffee) and that April wouldn't know that they had tossed her room.

The answer to April landed literally on her front stoop. An older man in a wheelchair with a beautiful, African woman with white hair at his side asked to speak to June and April. June asked the kitchen for tea and some privacy. As expected, the two did not discuss more than small talk until all of June's help were out of eavesdropping distance.

The woman introduced herself as Ororo. She was a teacher at the man's boarding school, Xavier's School for Gifted Children. Ororo and Professor Xavier were sure that April would be perfect for the school. April seemed interested but she kept looking to June for her opinion. June knew that there was something happening. Ororo and Xavier were playing a con of some sort and April was moments away from joining in the same con against her own grandmother.

Xavier raised a hand slightly and Ororo paused, somewhat surprised. "I'm sorry," Xavier said. "It took me this long to place the name. June, it's been a very long time."

June leaned back. "We've met?"

Xavier smiled, slightly abashed. He touched two fingers to his temple. "I was barely out of school and I visited one of your husband's gaming halls. It was before I earned my degree. I introduced myself as Charles Xavier."

And just like that, June could clearly see this man, younger and with the hard blonde teen at his side. The tell of the two fingers to the forehead. "I remember you. You won at the Byron's table and…"

_Please don't mention Raven_, a voice spoke in her head. _Yes, I am a telepath. _Charles confirmed June's thought before it could be fully formed. _Ororo and I are mutants. Our school is designed for mutants._

"You gave back all the money you had won," June finished smoothly.

Charles smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye. He was very pleased with how she covered the telepathic conversation. He sobered and cast a glance at April. June finally faced what Charles had been hinting.

April was a mutant.

Considering how vicious the local riots and protests against mutants had been, June tried not to be hurt that April had not shared her problem. June wrapped her arms around her beloved granddaughter. "I will love you no matter what," she whispered in her hair.

April started crying, not the pretty crying that she had practiced in the mirror, but the horrible body-shaking sobs of inner torment. June held her close, murmuring words of comfort and acceptance. Finally, April settled. She gulped and breathed shaky breaths. Then she leaned back and looked at June.

"I was so scared," she admitted.

June tried not to show her disconcertment; April had not shed one tear. Her make-up was still perfect. April shuddered and breathed again. June watched as what looked like contacts slid off of April's irises and under her eyelids. June focused on the child she loved who was afraid of abandonment. The mutations didn't matter. Reacting the wrong way now would burn bridges. June was enough of a con-woman still to save her reactions until later, until she had privacy, until unrestrained body language would not hurt her granddaughter. "You have nothing to be scared of. We will take care of you."

"What my school would teach you," Charles diverted April's attention and gave June a moment to gather her reserves, "would be to take care of yourself. We would teach you how to use your mutation to your advantage and to give you a safe place to completely be yourself. You would not have to hide anything at the school. There is nothing you have for which we haven't prepared."

April looked at June again for guidance. June offered her an encouraging smile. April took another deep breath and this one was less shaky than the last. Finally, she pulled up her skirt and lowered her knee high socks to reveal black scales on her legs. It must have developed in the last couple months. June suddenly remembered April in a store isle looking at creams for dry skin. April looked at Charles and Ororo and both looked interested and nothing else. Definitely no pity to be found there. June imitated their expression. She was horrified, but because her granddaughter had had to suffer through these changes alone. June was very careful to keep such thoughts off her face.

April relaxed, nearly boneless with relief.

"We can go now," Charles offered. "And let you two discuss your options."

"Can I go to his school, Grandmama," April pleaded.

"Of course," June said. Anything to make April's life easier. She addressed Charles and Ororo. "If you could give me all your contact information so that I can start the process to transfer April's records?"

Charles nodded, with as much regality as June remembered from him long ago. _I do ask_, he spoke into her head again,_ that you be wise with who you would use to investigate us. We have many students who have been hunted for their deformities and have police records, mostly for theft_.

June nodded. She would be very careful. She wouldn't want to endanger those other students any more than she wanted to endanger April. Not to mention that those same students would probably be April's classmates soon. June remembered that April's school was ending a semester and beginning a new one and April would have gym. April had been worrying about the future. June hoped that her granddaughter had not been planning to run away to avoid exposure, but there were tiny indications of just that all over the house. Xavier had wonderful timing. June would need to push to change schools soon. When April needed to suffer through the horrors of gym, it wouldn't happen where she would be harassed for being a mutant.

Ororo was speaking of special classes and opportunities, of the phone in every dorm room so she could call home whenever needed and the infirmary stocked to deal with sudden mutations. June was pleased with the information. Of course, she would visit. Often, if at all possible. Her granddaughter would know her love. June was not hiding her away from the world as if she was ashamed. April was growing excited with the prospect, even if she grabbed June's hand and held on tight. She was still worried but not as much. She was opening up, returning to the cheerful, upbeat, mischievous person that June had missed.

Charles voice was in her head again. _Thank you, for accepting her. Accepting us. This has been the most pleasant student recruitment of school history_.

June mourned for the other students, the ones where their parents hadn't been conmen and women, the ones who couldn't keep their surprise and fright out of their body language when faced with the mutations. The parents that reacted first and then thought about it must still be paying for their inexperience. June was sure that some of the children were loved, but their parents had been too shocked to show it at crunch time. She was just as sure that some of the children had been thrown out of their homes for being too different.

June knew that Xavier's School for Gifted Children had just become one of her favorite charities. For however rich Charles Xavier had been, he was raising and caring for many children just because regular society didn't accept them. June knew first hand that children were expensive. June would lighten his load, in thanksgiving for helping April.


	3. Chapter 3

**More Than a Partner**

Summary: June needs to know more about Xavier and can think of only one person.

*wc*xm*

June trusted Neal, she really did, but Neal was a conman. He used information like a weapon and he thought of himself first. Neal was a live and let live type, but something stopped June from telling him about April's mutation. Neal wouldn't maliciously reveal April's mutation but he would say something, endangering her, to get himself out of a tough spot. June had no doubt that Neal would try to mitigate the damages after the fact, but it was too much of a risk to April. June had survived by listening to her gut. Whoever had coined the phrase 'honor among thieves' had been a starry-eyed romantic that didn't live in the real world. She wouldn't tell Neal. June didn't want to hire a private investigator; they were an unknown that could potentially bring danger to Xavier's school and then to April.

June could only see one solution, the only lawman June could trust. So she knocked on the Burke's door promptly at eleven on a Saturday morning. Of course, she had made an appointment first. Peter opened the door at the first knock. Elizabeth was not anywhere to be found but her presence was felt in the beautiful coffee service and tasty appetizers on the dining room table. Peter was an impatient if proper host, yet another thing for which to thank Elizabeth.

Peter waited for her to take two sips of coffee before blurting out, "What did Neal do?"

June was taken back momentarily but could see why he would assume this meeting was about his CI. "It's not about Neal."

Peter showed his blazing intellect with his next word. "April."

"Yes."

"You figured out the problem."

"April is a mutant."

Peter reacted like the professional he was; he thought about it and filed April's actions into mutant behavior and decided that it fit. "Is it affecting her health?" His reaction revealed the depth of his caring.

"Not too much, but she will need a trustworthy doctor."

"Do you need me to find one?" Peter looked intrigued by the challenge.

"There's one associated with the school that came to recruit April."

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Two mutants came by the house to introduce themselves and to pitch their school, Xavier's School for Gift Children. They drew April out of her secrecy –she had been planning to run away- and for that, I will forever be grateful but… the school's founder is a telepath."

June knew that Peter had absorbed all the implications, but he was waiting for June to voice her concerns. Definitely a man trained by his wife; he knew that half of solving a woman's problem was letting her explain it. "April wants to go to the school, but I have some reservations. I would like a suspicious eye come with us on her visit, someone who can do background checks without drawing attention to the school. Xavier mentioned that several of his students have had brushes with the law because they were runaways."

Peter brushed aside the minor offenses with a wave of his hand. That didn't concern him. He could ignore that. With his every gesture, Peter was proving that he was worthy of June's trust. Peter asked if he could confide June's secret to Elizabeth. June decided that as a lawman's wife, Elizabeth had plenty of practice keeping secrets.

"Can Elle come with us?" Peter asked.

June was surprised.

Peter looked a little abashed. "I don't get to spend a lot of time with my wife as it is," honest as always. "And Elle has great insights. Not to mention that when we go as a group, April would probably be more comfortable with Elle than me. We're also going to have to, at the very least, have dinner together and get to know each other enough that we'd know if someone is in our heads planting ideas."

"Agreed." June had been about to ask Peter over for dinner for that very reason. "Tomorrow night?" she suggested. "Neal will be out."

"What is Neal," he started. "Nevermind. I don't want to know. I'll see if Elle is free."

"Everyone would prefer if April is transferred before the new semester," June explained the time limit.

Peter nodded. "I'll be there tomorrow even if Elle can't. Can I bring anything?"

"Just yourself, my cook will take care of everything else."

"It's a plan."

*wc*xm*


	4. Chapter 4

**Less Than a Confidant**

Summary: June needs to know more Xavier and can think of only one person.

*wc*xm*

Dinner with Peter and Elizabeth was as pleasant as expected. April would have preferred if June had picked Neal and didn't understand the choice. The teen was slowly warming up to the lawman and his wife. Together, the four of them wrote out a list of questions concerning the school. Elle, with her elegant handwriting, copied it so that they'll be able to refer back to it when they returned from their campus tour. For now, both copies of the list of questions were put into a safe of which Neal was unaware. Elle started telling stories of her time at college. Then Peter told a story of Neal that had them all laughing as the man in question walked in the door. It made for a beautiful excuse with Neal pouting about being excluded.

The timing was too good to be a coincidence. Peter had _known_.

Peter was some sort of mutant, completely under the radar and perhaps uniquely qualified for the task ahead. Suddenly, the inexplicable childlessness was explained. Oh, a New York working couple had many reasons to delay or abstain from children, but the x-gene had to be a contributing factor.

June caught Peter's eye and raised her glass in a discrete toast. Peter inclined his head in wry amusement. He hadn't volunteered the information, but rather had chosen to expose it to June than risk Neal hearing April's secret. He wasn't worried about June knowing, not that she could prove her suspicions.

Yes, June had picked the perfect lawman for the task.

*wc*xm*


	5. Chapter 5

**More Than a Fair Dealer**

*wc*xm*

Xavier was surprised by June's associates. He welcomed them with the same Old Money Manners that June had remembered from their first meeting. He used that old tell of two fingers to his temple and he still seemed confused about Peter. He left April's recruitment to the teens and teachers and focused on the Burkes. Elle was easy enough and June was sure that her thoughts were matching her actions. It was Peter that flummoxed the mutants. Teachers came and went, each engaging the FBI agent in conversation but none of them seemed to click.

And then the stern headmaster, Scott Summers, with his strange red sunglasses made an oblique math joke and the two were debating some math topic that June didn't understand. Everyone else looked bemused at the conversation.

"MATHletes," the infirmary doc complained to Elle. The two men trailed the rest of the tour group around the school. June saw the state-of-the-art infirmary and the cozy dorm rooms. She even got to meet the girl who could walk through solid matter that would be April's roommate. The old con woman couldn't help but wonder about the possibilities of Kitty being a thief. From Peter's narrow gaze, he knew exactly what she was thinking. His eyes twinkled and June swallowed a laugh. Peter would catch her if she fell off the straight and narrow. He would figure a way; he was stubborn like that.

The tour walked them through the common areas and the classrooms. June was impressed with the quality of education and the teacher to student ratios. April's excitement increased with every step. Instead of dread for leaving her friends, she was starting to look forward to making new ones among all the other opportunities.

It was such a nice day for January, everyone wore their jackets and ate lunch outside with the students. Once the students finished their lunches, some worked on school work and others played various games. Peter was distracted watching the basketball game. The teams were rather unevenly matched, but no one had complained so the teachers were letting the students determine their own set of fair rules. Peter wasn't watching the kids that they were bugs under a microscope but more like he was keeping score. After the younger team was down fifteen points he looked at his wife beseechingly.

Elle kissed him and told him, "Go play."

Peter gave her a bright smile and his jacket and gun, leaving on the harness. He talked his way onto the younger team within moments and had them playing as a coherent team in minutes. The entire school staff watched avidly. By the time the younger team tied the older, most of the mutants had lost their hatred of law enforcers and some were in awe. Peter genuinely liked children and it reflected in his actions.

"I'll double his salary if he'd come teach here," Xavier told Elle. "You could come as well and do whatever you wanted in the kitchen."

She laughed at him. "Thank you, but we are very happy in our current professions."

"Seminars, perhaps?" Xavier asked. "Perhaps he could be a referee for the games. The students will trust his sense of fairness."

"I'll talk to him." Elle looked at April and June. "I'm sure an occasional night out of the city will be welcomed."

"We will work around his schedule," Mr. Summers promised.

*wc*xm*


	6. Chapter 6

**Less than Completely Honest**

*wc*xm*

The ride back to the city was quiet. All of the women riding with Peter were lost in their own thoughts. Peter knew better than to fill the silence. He was very glad that he and June had already hired Mozzie to clear their respective homes of any bugs. Mozzie might be curious but his respect for June would keep him from planting bugs. When the females finally started talking, Peter wanted to be sure that the flood of information was not being recorded.

"So what's your mutation?" April asked as soon as the door to June's beautiful house shut behind them. June would have chided her, but she wanted the answers to questions that only impertinent teenagers could ask.

Peter smiled as he took off his jacket. "What makes you think that I have a mutation?"

"All of the teachers at the school have mutations. Xavier offered you a job, so you must have one too."

Peter looked at his wife first. "He didn't offer me a job, hon."

El reached out to grab his hand. "He offered both of us jobs, and pitched his offer to me."

"Did he go into your head?" Peter demanded with a dark voice.

"Only for privacy and after asking permission first," El said.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"I'm not distracted," April sing-songed. "What's your mutation, Peter?"

Peter shrugged. "It's a kind of radar. That little nagging feeling that trouble –not just bad trouble- is coming, but more advanced. I know the direction, physically and metaphorically."

"My house must ping on that radar constantly," June mused.

"Constantly," Peter agreed emphatically.

"It must be more than that," April protested. "Xavier wouldn't want you just for that."

Peter nodded with the logic. "People I am connected to, I can find anywhere. I could probably find El anywhere in the world."

"And Neal?"

Peter stared at the teen seriously as he answered. "Now? If I'm within a thousand miles, I probably could track him down."

"So the anklet's just for show." April sounded upset on the thief's behalf.

"That anklet is to keep Neal's head on straight," Peter argued and June could certainly understand the point of view and she sent her granddaughter a look that said so.

"Why didn't just say that you were a mutant in the beginning?" April asked. She wanted to find something wrong in Peter's actions. June almost understood the teenage mentality. April much preferred Neal to the federal agent, but Peter grew on a person.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate meeting someone like me, whose mutation protects him against being outted," Peter said easily.

And April couldn't argue with that.

It revealed something to June and since Peter was answering questions, she asked, "It keeps you under the radar, doesn't it? Even from telepaths?" June wondered how much of a shield the agent possessed.

Peter grinned at her. "Apparently. I hadn't tested it until today though."

"All this hiding from Neal," April grumbled. "He's probably a mutant too. All that charm, maybe a… broadcasting empath?" she suggested using terminology that they had learned at the school.

Peter shook his head. "Nope. He's not."

"How can you be sure?" April demanded.

June figured it out first. "Radar."

Peter shrugged but didn't deny it. "I try not to go snooping, there's just too much occurring at any one time to be effective, but if I had just met with you, April, instead of checking if any violent crimes had happened in your school, I would have known what the problem was."

"You checked violent crimes?" April asked.

"June was worried so she came to Neal and I and it was something we could do."

June was pleased that the agent managed not to mention searching the teen's room.

"Oh." April turned to El. "What's your mutation?" June hadn't considered the possibility. She had simply believed that Xavier had offered her a position to lure in Peter.

El was digging in her purse. "I can taste emotions." She pulled out a tin of cinnamon candies and offered them to April. "Surprise tastes like nutmeg, which can be overpowering by itself, but when blended with cinnamon, it's pleasant. I built my catering business on matching emotions –like at weddings- to specific foods."

April and the June accepted the candies. June paused before putting it into her mouth. "The coffee and appetizers," she realized.

"Chosen to comfort and clarify," El confessed. "I know how you like your coffee, but I could have done better with a choice of teas."

"You two could run long cons effortlessly," April said admiringly. "El would handle the mark and Peter would handle the law."

Peter huffed.

"Xavier offered me money for a storefront," El changed the subject.

"What does he want in exchange?" Peter was suspicious.

"He wants to be able to use it reconcile mutants with their families. He'd want me there to apply food and drink to the emotions and smooth the way. He'd do it in such a way that I could have a catering kitchen in the back."

"A tea house," June decided, "would be just the thing. Quiet, exclusive. I would invest in that. I could hire the managers to run it." She had wondered how to help families broken by a bad reaction the to the x-gene.

"I don't think I want to," El confessed.

Peter encouraged, "At least run some numbers with June. It'll be a good cover for when Neal goes snooping."

"Why aren't we telling Neal?" April demanded.

"We will," Peter promised, "but we all lose if we do it too soon." There was such a surety in his tone that the teen settled.

June wondered what the agent knew and how he knew it. Peter and El had shared too many secrets to not be holding some in reserve.

*wc*xm*


	7. Chapter 7

More Than a Bluff

*xmen*wc*

Neal felt hurt that June had confided in Peter and not her fellow thief. He couldn't image what had brought the two together, but he was going to find out. He was disappointed when Mozzie didn't plant a few bugs when he was clearing June's house last. Mozzie insisted that his reputation demanded that he give his clients the privacy for which they pay.

Neal did know that both El and June were checking their finances and June was looking at real estate. June was also investigating a frightening number of charities that assisted runaway children. It took a bit of meditative painting to realize that April had been planning to run away, for whatever reason. She was the beginning of the collusion between June and the Burkes. Neal had poked and prodded June, Peter and then El, but all of them were stubbornly quiet as to why they were suddenly friends. Neal would have gone straight to April, but the girl had transferred to a boarding school upstate.

When Neal was investigating whether or not he could call up April for answers, he realized that the school specialized in teaching runaway children. Dr. Xavier –the founder of the school- was a professor that had written a detailed paper on needed elements for a place of reconciliation, specifically for parents and their runaway child. June had been studying the paper and comparing it with the building blueprints that were on the market.

June had finally picked a building and put in a bid and now Xavier's paper was covered in notes. El had written all of her requirements for using the kitchen to cook for her catering. For the restaurant –no it looked to be more of a tea house- she had left ideas for food and June had written Neal's name by the art pieces suggested for decoration. Peter had added a note stressing the fact that Neal was supposed to reproduce the famous art works and not steal them. Neal chuckled at the sight of the familiar handwriting and read how Xavier hoped that the art works would be conversational starters and how all of the students were familiar with the pieces and would be able show off their education with them.

So April had tried to run away, but Peter, June and El had stopped it and then shipped April off to a school where she could get a prime education plus therapy among students of similar persuasions. But why had she run away? And why wouldn't anyone tell Neal what happened?

June had gone to Peter, which probably meant something better combated legally. There had to be paperwork somewhere. Peter was meticulous about his paperwork, even about his personal jobs. Neal would have to get into Peter's safe, unnoticed.

Peter did have paperwork in his house safe but they were all on how to make arrests for petty theft Igo away/I. He had a couple of police files on Xavier's students. Every one of them had stolen food. Neal could see how a softie like Peter would want to help starving kids have a chance as adult without a police record.

Petty theft. April had been involved in a couple of cons. Had she executed one of her own in preparation for running away? Had she needed cash and didn't think she could have asked her grandmother? Peter would be the optimal person for returning… whatever in exchange for April's clean record.

But still, the question remained: What could April have possibly done to believe that running away was the answer? And where did Peter hide that paperwork?

*xmen*wc*


	8. Chapter 8

**Less Than a Hit**

***wc*xmen***

Neal and Peter had to stop at the judicial building for a warrant. There were protesters outside. Neal wasn't sure what mutant case was being decided –Peter had kept him in the FBI building for days- but it looked like it could get ugly.

Peter snagged Neal's arm and led him through security and into the judge's chambers. He quickly concluded business and led the way back to the car. "What do you think?" Peter asked him, nodding at the shouting protesters on both sides of the equation.

"It'd be a great day to be a pickpocket." Neal could spot two working the crowds from the front passenger's seat. "Lots of bumping and congestion and a distraction already available, not to mention a ready target if the mark figures out they lost their wallet. All those enemies right across the road."

Peter probably saw the same two light-fingered thieves slipping through the Human First side. "Which side would you work?"

"Oh, the humans," Neal said blithely. "You can never know a mutant's power and most of them are so poor because they can't get a job that they aren't worth the effort."

Peter huffed, but he didn't disagree. He drove in silence for a while. Something sparked his attention, it might have been the tea house they just passed or the gallery up ahead. Or the combination reminded him of his wife's project. "Have you finished El's paintings yet?"

"Three of them. June said that they wouldn't be opening the store until next month. I wouldn't wait until the last minute for El. Why?"

"A nearby counselor has a runaway and a parent at a good place –emotionally- to meet and was hoping to use the tea house. He believes that even if it's mid-construction, he can work out a resolution. He just needs a neutral ground. Half of the dining room is completed. El was thinking about putting up the art and then taking it down again after the meeting."

"Sure," Neal said agreeably. "She can have the completed works." He wondered how 'nearby' the counselor lived and how the man had known about the tea house's ulterior purpose. How had El and June advertised it? Or was it a counselor they had consulted with?

***wc*xmen***


End file.
